Loose-leaf binders



Dec. 11, 1956 D. D. MOGERVEY 2,773,504

LOOSE-LEAF BINDEJRS Filed Dec. 30, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 119/ INVENTOR. 23 DA N/EL DONALD MCGER v5) HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,713,504 LOOSE-LEAF BINDERS Daniel Donald McGervey, Pittsburgh, Pa. 7 Application December 30, 1952, S eri al No. 328,648

' 2 Claims. 01. 129-41 This invention relates generally to loose-leaf binders, and more particularly toa loose-leaf binder that is providedwith a flexible binding strip that slides when the book is opened and closed to accommodate the sheets held thereby.

Loose-leaf binders, as known in the art today, are limited by the size and number of sheets that they can contain, and also by the difiiculty in'removing or replacing sheets, and permitting them to be opened flat for use. Again, loose-leaf binders, as found on the open market today, are materially more expensive than need be, and they do-not permit stacking.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a loose-leaf binder that provides a flexible strap for retaining loose-leaf sheets within a binder which permits the sheets to be opened for the full extent thereof, and which permits the flexible binding straps to slide relative to the binder when opening and closing the book in order to save the sheets from. destruction.

Loose-leaf binding mechanisms of the present art crowd and spoil the leaves. However, the binder comprising this invention permits the loose-leaf sheets to open flat on both sides and to be completely exposed for use, without putting any strain on the binding, the strips or on the loose-leaf sheets.

This is accomplished by providing a flexible binding strap made of flexible material, such as plastic or metal. The plastic is preferable, as it has sufficient flexibility, as well as thickness, however, as metal increases in thickness, it loses its flexibility. It is preferable to provide a binding strap that has thickness as'well as flexibility without being limp in the manner of a flat strap.

2 book, whereas, when the book is closed, the binding strip is flexed in the opposite direction.

Other objects and advantages appear hereinafter in the following description and claims..

The accompanying drawing shows for the purpose of exemplification without limiting the invention or claims thereto, certain practical embodiments illustrating the invention wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an open loose-leaf binder comprising this invention, and made from a single piece of paper binding.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a binder similar to that shown in Fig. 1 with a'number of sheets therein.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view' of another form of a binder strip.

7 Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a structure similar to Fig. 3 showing the disposition of the loose-leaf sheets in the binder such as disclosed in Fig. 3.

Fig.5 is a perspective view of another type of binder having a similar flexible binding strap as shown in the other figures but with a different binding back.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the relative position of the sheets of the structure such as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective view of a keeper or hingernember to be employed in attaching or retaining the flexible binding strip of a loose-leaf binder;

- Fig. 8 is a plan view of a flexible binding strip such as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the structure as shown in Fig. 8. I

.Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the flexible binding strip such as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, and 6.

Referring to the drawings, the loose-leaf binder 1 of Fig. 1 is made of'a single piece of material such as a heavy paper, and the cover sheets 2 and 3 are made stiff by pressing a design therein, however, the paper forms the flexible binding portion or back 4 which is produced by folding the paper back on itself to form a fold havinga bend along one edge and the other edge ad- I jacent each of the cover sheets 2 and 3, as indicated at- The flexible' binding strip is provided with a loop or pivotal end which permits the same to be hingedly at tached at one end to the inner face of' the cover. and adjacent the flexible binding edge. The opposite cover must be provided with some type of keeper through which the free end of .the plastic binding strip may pass and move or slide freely up the cover when the book is opened and closed. The flexible binding strap should also be provided with a stop which prevents it from coming out of the keeper. This stop limits the length ture within the limits "of the flexibility of the material and to such an extent to prevent the strap from :being folded on itself when thelbook is closed. The actual front and back cover portions of the flex- -of withdrawal of the strap to the most desirable curvaible cover may vary together with the flexible binding between the cover portions. It may be a solid flexible cloth, or one might employ straps for this use.

The position of the hinge of the flexible strap on one binder should be so constructed so as to permit that end of the flexible binding strip to stand up from the face 5 and 6. The folded back portion 5 may be secured or. otherwise held together and in shape by the use of the fastener means 7, which penetrates not only the folded portion 5, butalso the cover. The fasteners 8 are em ployed on the folded over portion 6 to secure the same togetherand to back or cover 3. Owing to the formation of the paper cover, the folded edges 5 and 6 will turn upwardly.

A slot is cut through the folded over portions Sand 6, as illustrated at 10 to form a pivot means, for reception, of the hinged loop portion or pivot receiving means 11 of the flexible strap 12. The opposite end of the flexible strap 12 passes through the opening 13 in the folded over portion 6, which is aligned with the opening 11 in the folded over portion 5. a 1

The flexible strap passes through the hole 13, and arcs upwardly when the binder is filled withpaper; The strap 12 is made of a flexible plastic material, and not being too limp, it retains a certain amount of rigidity but is still flexible. When the book is filled the strap may produce the reversed curve as indicated at 14. This permits the free end 15 of the flexible binding straps 12 to slide back and forth through the openings 13 and along the cover 3 when the book is opened and closed.

As shown in Fig. 2, when the book is in its closed position, the'flexiblestraps 12 are-slid along the inside of'the cover 3 to a great extent. However, as shown by dotted lines, different positions of the cover 3 illustrate the different relative positions of the flexible binding strap 12. When the book is fully opened with the covers 2 and 3 lying flat and open, it will be noted that the flexible member 12 has its stop member 16 engaging in the bothave its reversed curve as illustrated at 14. In any of these positions, the leaves are readily opened and do not become strained, which is an important object or improvement of this invention.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the flexible binding strap member 12 with its loop 11 and the stop member 16, is merely a strip of plastic material that is capable of being flexed without undue strain on the material and the hinge loop 11 can be readily formed therein by merely heating the same, and extruding a portion to the underside thereof.

The cover 17 of Fig. 3 is made of a heavy material, such as cardboard, and the cover 18 is constructed of a similar material and they are flexibly joined at their binding edges by the flexible back section 19 which is secured to the outer surface of the members 17 and 18.

The triangular strip or block 20 is attached to the inner face of the cover 17, as by cementing, and it is spaced from the binding edge as indicated at 21. This triangular section is provided with the slots 22 for receiving the ends of the flexible binding strips 23 which are illustrated in Figs. 4, 6, and 10. In this instance, the binding strip has an enlarged end 24 with pivot receiving opening 25 therethrough, for the purpose of receiving a pivot pin, such as illustrated at 26 .in Figs. 4 and 6. This manner of hinging the flexible member 23 to the binding permits the flexible strap to swing freely relative to the cover 31 but is limited in its reverse movement relative to the cover owing to the slope of the triangular section, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6. Thus, the strap is caused to extend upwardly, and if free, would in fact, extend upwardly, but it is held by the keeper through which the free end passes. The keeper, in this instance, is formed by the openings 27 in the book closure sheet 28. One end of the book closure sheet is cemented as indicated at 29 to the cover 18, and the other end is inserted in a pocket formed in the outer edge of the cover 18.

The false sheet 28 not only maintains a spacing for the flexible members 23 to slide freely back and forth when the book is opened and closed, but also provides a smooth and uniform surface on which to write on the pages of the loose-leaf binder. The openings 27 are formed in'the' riser portion 30 of the false sheet 28. Here again, the openings 27 form the keepers for the flexible straps 23 and produce the reverse curves illustrated at 14 in the straps. It will also be noted that the riser portion 30 of the false sheet 28 is spaced a materially greater distance from the binding edge of the sheet 18 than that of the triangular wedge piece 20. Both the wedge piece and the triangular shape of the sheet 28 combine to cause the pages to lie as indicated in Figs. 4 and 6, which materially aids in the preservation of the pages and also permits them to open up for use without straining the binding edge of the sheet. It will be noticed that when there are substantially very few sheets in the binder, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the flexible binding strap 23 is substantially straight when the book is closed.

As shown in Fig. 5, the flexible loose-leaf binder is provided with the cover sheets 31 and 32 which are hinged together by the back as indicated at the back section 33 by merely creasing the material and causing a fold therein, as indicated at 34. An extra flexible binding sheet 35 is attached to the covers 31 and 32 by means of the rivets 36.

The binding sheet 35 is provided with :backwardly folded portions as indicated at 37. Thesefolds produce a channel or bend to receive the pivotpin 38-which may be provided with a head at each end, and which functions as a pivot pin for the loop 11 on the flexible strap members 12. However, the flexible strap members, as shown in Fig. 5, have their stop members 16 on the upper side, instead of on the lower side, and they pass through openings which are illustrated at 39, and which form the keepers or guides for the flexible straps. The fold or folder back portion 37 is provided with a pin 40 forming the stop or abutment against which the stops 16 on the flexible straps 12 engage. The pin 40 is similar to the pin 38, only smaller in diameter, and may be held in place by the fold 37, together with the cementing of the same therein. As shown in Fig. 5, additional slots are provid d for additional flexible members 12, if the user may care to insert the same.

As shown in Fig. '7, a hinge or keeper is constructed preferably of relatively stiff material, such as plastic, which, owing to its form, has become fairly rigid, and comprises a bracket member 41 having the central U- shaped portion 42 and the oppositely extending legs 43. The leg and part of the U-shaped portion are blanked out as indicated at 44 to produce the tongues 45 and 4 6,. The tongues 45 are bent backwardly on the underside of the legs 43.

The tongues 46 are bent under the U-shaped portion so as to provide a substantially cylindrical bearing sur face which would be employed to receive the loop 11 0f the flexible binding strap 12, such :as indicated at Figs. .8 and 9. This same bracket member may also be employed on the opposite binder as the guide member or keeper for the free end of the flexible strap member by merely passing the same therethrough in the manner very similar to that of Figs. 3 and 5. If the back or cover of the loose-leaf binder is made of plastic, the plastic back that is illustrated at Fig. 7 may be readily cemented thereto. However, it may also be cemented to a paper or fiber loose-leaf binder in the same manner as the other members ordinarily attached thereto.

I claim:

1.. A loose-leaf binder comprising two folds each formed by turning material back on itself to produce a bend along one edge of each told, one fold being at least twice the width of the other fold, a cover sheet for each fold, fastener means passing through each fold and its cover sheet to secure it with its opposite edge along one edge of its cover sheet, a back section hinged to said cover sheets along said one edge thereof and extending therebetween, a plurality of leaf holding flexible binding straps each materially longer than the cross dimension of said back section, said straps secured in spaced relation along the bend of the narrow fold, and akeeper in the form of an opening at the bend of the wide fold and in alignment to receive the free end of each flexible binding strap attached to the narrow fold to permit the free end of said straps to slide through said keepers when the binder is opened and closed.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized 'in that said two folds, said cover sheets and said back section are all one piece of material.

References Cited ,in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,343,103 Wolf June 8, 1920 2,007,763 Klein July 9, 1935 2,139,843 Moore Dec. '13, 1938 2,550,597 Phillips Apr. 24, 1951 2,559,556 Ambler July '3, 1 951 FQRE G .R TEN 231,845 Great Britain 1925 467,846 Germany 1928 

